University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken and some members of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents on Thursday called the decision to invite William Ayers to NU’s Lincoln campus next month “poor judgment.”

Ayers, a founder of a radical group that bombed public buildings in protest of the Vietnam War, is scheduled to be a keynote speaker Nov. 15 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Education and Human Sciences’ student research conference. The conference is part of a two-day celebration honoring the college’s 100th anniversary.

Ayers, a distinguished education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was invited to UNL to share his expertise on topics like social justice and urban educational reform, said Marjorie Kostelnik, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences.

But some NU leaders aren’t happy.

“While I believe that the open exchange of ideas and the principles of academic freedom are fundamental to a university, I also believe the decision to have Ayers on a program to celebrate the college’s Centennial represents remarkably poor judgment,” Milliken said in a statement.

“The University of Nebraska in no way condones Ayers’ past terrorist acts, which I consider reprehensible.”

It’s true that embracing academic freedom sometimes means welcoming controversial viewpoints, Regents Chairman Chuck Hassebrook of Lyons said.

“But at the same time, the authority we grant to the faculty to decide what to teach and who to invite comes with a responsibility to use that authority and that freedom with sound judgment,” Hassebrook said. “In this case, I think, that was violated.”

Said Regent Charles Wilson of Lincoln: “It was bad judgment to invite someone who has such a despicable history to participate in an event which is supposed to be a celebration. Anybody who thought this wouldn’t come up is probably naive.

“It’s just very unfortunate.”

Ayers’ 9 a.m. address — open to UNL faculty and students only — is called “We Are Each Other’s Keepers: Research to Change the World.”

Kostelnik defended the choice, saying Ayers was selected by a faculty committee in the spring, long before his ties to Sen. Barack Obama became a focus of the presidential campaign.

At the time, Kostelnik said, no faculty member objected to the decision. But since then, she said, the college has made clear to Ayers his remarks must focus entirely on academics.

“We’re not interested in having him speak about his past or any of those things,” she said. “We are interested in his research. …

“I want to make very clear that we don’t condone his activities of the ‘60s and the ‘70s, but in the 30 or 40 years since then, he’s carved out a different life. And that academic life is of interest to us.”

Decades ago, Ayers was a founder of Weather Underground, the group that claimed responsibility for bombings several government buildings, including the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

Years later, he and Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, served together on the board of an anti-poverty nonprofit called the Woods Fund of Chicago, a sister organization to Lincoln’s Woods Charitable Fund.

The campaign of Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has sharply criticized Obama for his ties to Ayers, including during Wednesday’s presidential debate. But Obama has said the ties are extremely limited, noting he was a child when the Weather Underground bombings took place.

Still, Ayers’ planned visit to UNL is sparking protest. Readers flooded JournalStar.com with comments Thursday, and regents said they’d been receiving angry phone calls and e-mails all day.

“That’s just outrageous. That’s a slap in the face to law-abiding Nebraskans,” said UNL chemistry professor Gerard Harbison.

State Auditor Mike Foley said he’s e-mailed Kostelnik to ask for financial details of Ayers’ visit.

“I want to know who’s paying for this. … I’m deeply concerned that the taxpayers of Nebraska might be paying for a domestic terrorist to speak at our university,” Foley said.

Kostelnik said no state money will be spent on Ayers’ appearance. The small honorarium he will be paid, she said, will come from private funds.

The NU Foundation is not contributing to Ayers’ visit, President Clarey Castner said.

Kostelnik said the student research conference will be small — drawing about 150 people, mostly graduate students and faculty from the College of Education and Human Sciences — and stressed no student or employee is required to attend.

“We didn’t expect him to be such a lightning rod,” she said.

In a statement, Chancellor Harvey Perlman also defended Ayers’ selection, noting UNL, like any university, makes an effort to host speakers of a variety of political opinions.

“In this instance, it is unfortunate that a lecture directed toward an academic subject has become implicated in a political campaign,” Perlman’s statement read. “However, Professor Ayers is clearly regarded as a national expert in his field and can contribute to the understanding of this topic for our faculty and students.

“Nothing in his presence suggests that the university supports his personal or political philosophy or condones any of his former conduct.”

Ayers is on sabbatical this academic year from the University of Illinois at Chicago to pursue research, said Mark Rosati, associate chancellor in the Office of Public Affairs.

Ayers hasn’t given many talks on college campuses this year, Rosati said, although he did speak at the University of North Dakota in April over protests from conservative student groups.

At NU, Wilson, for one, fears Ayers’ invite may sour what was meant to be a celebratory weekend.

“His presence will overwhelm the event. The whole story’s going to be about Bill Ayers,” Wilson said. “It’s created a real furor, to the detriment of the University of Nebraska.”

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.